1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of separating recyclables from commingled waste. More specifically, the present invention discloses a jogger beam apparatus that separates corrugated paper from a stream of commingled waste.
2. Statement of the Problem
Corrugated paper has resale value on the recycling market. For the purposes of this application, xe2x80x9ccorrugated paperxe2x80x9d should be construed to include both corrugated paper and cardboard. However, the corrugated paper must first be separated from the commingled waste which can include paper, cans, and other household waste. This can be done manually, but at a significant cost. Alternatively, mechanical conveyors have been developed that separate corrugated paper from commingled waste. One such conveyor includes a series of rotating spindles with teeth or fingers. The commingled waste is loaded onto the rotating spindles at one end of the conveyor. As the commingled waste moves across the rotating spindles, the waste component drops between the rotating spindles while the corrugated paper is transferred across the upper surface of the rotating spindles to a second end where it is collected. However, the commingled waste often contains wire, shredded strips of plastic, and other string-like components that tend to wrap around the rotating spindles. Eventually the rotating spindles must be shut down and the string-like components manually removed from the spindles, thus decreasing its efficiency. That is, the apparatus must be shut down during cleaning, reducing output, and manpower is required to clean the conveyor, increasing operational costs. In addition, having people clean the spindles poses a safety risk.
Conveyors, including walking-beam conveyors, have been used in the past in a wide variety of other fields, including the following:
Thackray discloses a cooling bed apparatus for transferring metal bars both longitudinally and laterally step by step.
Peters discloses a feeding mechanism. Two or more reciprocating longitudinal members are formed to provide a series of spaced engaging surfaces and a series of rearwardly sloping inclines alternating with the engaging surfaces. The reciprocation causes an article placed on the members to move forward along the members.
Kurek discloses a magnetic conveyor and agitator having a track comprised of two parallel pairs of steel rails. The articles on the conveyor are moved along the rail assemblies by relative movement of one set of rails with respect to the other so that each item on the conveyor is periodically lifted from the surface of the stationary rails by a pair of movable rails, moved a short step forward and replaced on the stationary rails.
Morgan discloses an apparatus for transferring elongated elements laterally from one location to another.
Hill discloses an improvement to a movable transfer rack. Each section of the transfer rack is actuated by only two combination eccentrics and crank pins at the cool side of the bed. The hot side is supported by struts mounted on bell cranks connected to and moved by tension members affixed to crankpins on the eccentrics. Hence, the overhang of the transfer racks minimizes overloading of the cantilevered ends.
Cone discloses a walking beam conveyor with a fixed set of parallel horizontally disposed rails and a reciprocable carriage with a set of similarly disposed rails for intermittently and alternatively holding and conveying material through a furnace.
Tomioka et al. disclose a series of aligned presses, each with independent operational sections, for automatically transferring formed articles between presses. Formed articles are loaded and unloaded between the presses by a cyclic motion consisting of lifting, advancing, lowering and retreating of the transferring mechanism.
Mosher discloses a general purpose walking beam conveyor.
Schuricht discloses a walking beam conveyor with an adjustable width gauging aperture.
Levad et al. disclose an apparatus for pack cooling flat stock including collecting means with a plurality of stacker arms mounted for movement with respect to the stationary notch bars between a retracted position and a lifting position.
Nelson discloses a bearing system.
Waineo discloses a walking beam apparatus with four cams mounted on the base support so that as the lifting frame is moved back and forth, it rises or falls on the base depending on the frame""s direction of motion.
Howden, Jr. discloses an ambulatory for conveying rolls of carpet from a first elevation to a second elevation in a step-wise manner.
Bailey discloses a mechanical conveyor with an exposed flexible membrane surface that transfers articles by small orbital motions.
Orbeck discloses a walking hearth furnace in which a work product is conveyed through a furnace by rectilinear beam motion. At no point in the cycle does the work product, rods, or beams make contact with the muffle, nor do the interleaved rods touch each other.
Eberhard discloses a system for conveying stacks of objects.
Ukada discloses an automatic slope fruit feeding machine with a fixed carrier and a movable carrier.
Weirathmueller discloses a stair-like log feeder having a movable drive module and a movable driven unit cooperating with one another to move logs upward in a successive series of displacements.
3. Solution to the Problem
None of the prior art references uncovered in the search show an apparatus used to separate corrugated paper from commingled waste in which the commingled waste is loaded onto one end of a conveyor having at least two jogger beams driven out of phase with respect to one another and cantilevered beyond the motor so that waste falls clear of the motor between the jogger beams and the corrugated paper remains above and moves along the jogger beams, thereby separating the two components.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for separating recyclable corrugated paper from commingled waste. The commingled waste is loaded onto a conveyor having two alternating sets of jogger beams. The jogger beams are cantilevered, so that waste or debris falls clear of the motor and are preferably inclined so that the waste remains over the jogger beams and is not carried into the collection hopper. The jogger beams also preferably include teeth formed on a single sheet of metal material that has been fashioned into a substantially U-shape and mounted to the upper surface of the jogger beams. Each set of jogger beams is operated by a drive mechanism having a support beam with first and second bell cranks pivotally attached thereto and linked to one another and to the crankshaft through a series of tie rods. A slide shoe that is pivotally attached to the second bell crank on each set of jogger beams, slidingly engages the respective set of jogger beams. Optionally, a skirt covers the drive mechanism to keep waste from becoming entangled in the moving components of the drive mechanism. The motor drives the jogger beams out of phase with respect to one another causing the crankshaft to rotate the linked or connected bell cranks, which in turn move the slide shoe. This movement causes one of the slide shoes to lift and thrust the engaged set of jogger beams forward while the other slide shoe lowers and retreats the other engaged set of jogger beams. This motion moves the commingled waste over the jogger beams so that the waste or debris falls between the jogger beams and the corrugated paper remains or xe2x80x9cfloatsxe2x80x9d above the jogger beams, thereby separating the two components. Optionally, a second stage of jogger beams can be positioned in series after the first stage of jogger beams to further separate the commingled waste. In such an embodiment, the periodic forward motion of the first stage of jogger beams causes the corrugated paper dropping from the conveyor onto the second stage of jogger beams to tumble and further separate the waste from the corrugated paper.
These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.